Strand Of Oaks’s Tim Showalter has joined forces with the surviving members of Magnolia Electric Co. to form Goshen Electric Co. as a tribute to Jason Molina. The collaborative project has recorded a pair of Songs: Ohia tracks, which will be released as a 7’’ on November 2 via Dead Oceans. Filmed by Colin Kerrigan & Rocco Avallone (Out Of Town Films), the video for “The Gray Tower,” with its behind-the-curtain, black & white setting, captures the genuine, heartfelt emotion and power of the song. It's soulful, at-home folk that simply kicks ass.

Over the next three days, the musical fulcrum will largely focus on XPoNential Music Fest. A balanced assemblage of established and emerging talent from near and far settle onto the waterfront. Unfortunately, inclement weather may wash over Hurry’s set. However, Friday still has plenty on its tab – the encompassing reverberating power/ease of Angel Olsen coupled with the emotionally-exposed, energy-expelling rock of Hop Along and the stellar storytelling of Conor Oberst and Wilco. Saturday will culminate with local stalwart Amos Lee digging in with Preservation Hall Jazz Band. However, the meditative reverie of The Dove & The Wolf usher in the day, while Strand of Oaks roots itself in earnest, endearing narratives that blossom and flourish, gathering anthemic reach. On Sunday, the genre-melding hip-hop collective of Hardwork Movement and the Americana trio of No Good Sister help shape the day, reinforced by the bright Americana of Hurray For The Riff Raff and the rugged alt-country of Drive By Truckers. – Michael Colavita

More places to chill out this weekend…

Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) FRI DJ Lainedee, SAT DJ Emynd, Bo Bliz, SUN Power Animal, Telepathic, Queen Jesus

Boot & Saddle (1131 S. Broad St.) FRI Dark Thoughts, SAT Jo Kusy, Illiminati Sequence

Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Oso/Grimace Federation, Tektonic, Crouse, SAT Crazy Bull/Stateschoolgirl, Ultraviolet, SUN The Lot/Geniverse

PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12^th St.) SAT On The Water, Geb the Great Cackler, SUN Boosegumps

Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) SAT Violent Society

Bourbon & Branch (705 N. 2^nd St.) SAT The Chris Paterno Band, The Last Generation On Film

Electric Factory (421 N. 7^th St.) This Is Hardcore: FRI Eaten Alive, SAT Jesus Piece, Year of the Knife, SUN Activate

World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI Breakwater, SAT (Upstairs) Don McAvoy & the Great Whatever, Germany Hill/(Downstairs) The Core, Brown Sugar

The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Blasphemous, SUN Sunchoke

MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) FRI Carroll

Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3^rd  St.) SUN Mark Lanky (Record Release), Sad Actor,  White Lighters

The Barbary (951 Frankford Ave.) FRI Final Showcase, SUN Resilient, Alright Junior

Silk City (435 Spring Garden St.) SAT DJ Deejay, SUN Juice Wax (Album Release), Cookie Rabinowitz

Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) SUN Rusty Cadillac

Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9^th St.) FRI No One You Know, Jason Jeffries and the Tall Trees, Rootsetters

Morgan’s Pier (221 N. Columbus Boulevard) FRI DJ Beatstreet, SAT DJ Jason Weiss, SUN Thomas Curtis

The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI Knightlife, Andorra, The Stone Eye, Shots Called, Mike Nappi, SAT Brendan Johnson, Kate Says

Ardmore Music Hall (23 E. Lancaster Ave.) SAT Splintered Sunlight, Steal Your Peach

The Pharmacy (1300 S. 18^th St.) FRI Man Like Machine, Something Like A Monument, Dweeb, SAT Honeytiger, Mavis The Dog

Trash House (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT CMBC, Soft Idiot, Who Loves You

All Night Diner (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Abi Reimold, Tutlie, Curtis Cooper

The Sound Hole (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) Sun Organ

Camden Waterfront (2 Riverside Dr.) Xponential Fest: FRI Hop Along, Hurry, Swift Technique, SAT Amos Lee, Strand of Oaks, Dave Hause & The Mermaid, The Dove & The Wolf, Cliff Hillis, SUN No Good Sister, Hardwork Movement

Strand of Oaks strips away the arena-rock veneer of his latest single "Radio Kids," opting for an intensely intimate solo performance on a piano for the video series AB Sessions, recorded in Brussels. At its core, you find a song that really doesn't stray far away from the deeply haunting ballads found on earlier releases like Leave Ruin and Pope Killdragon, which is certainly a good thing for those just tuning in. His new LP Hard Love officially comes out February 17 via Dead Oceans, and he'll be back on stage in Philly on Friday, March 10 at Union Transfer.